Prolactin what is it?
|
Prolactin is a hormone produced anterior pituitary, ie, a small gland that is located at the base of the brain and is present in small amounts in men and nonpregnant women, because their function is to stimulate the production of milk throughout lactation.
Prolactin levels are elevated during pregnancy and after delivery. During pregnancy, prolactin stimulates mammary gland development and after birth, prolactin helps maintain milk production. If the woman does not breastfeed her child, prolactin levels fall rapidly to levels prior to pregnancy, but if the mother breastfeeds her child usually sucking child plays an important role in the release of this hormone.
Besides pregnancy, the most common cause of having elevated levels of prolactin in the blood, hyperprolactinemia, Which is the presence of a prolactinoma, a prolactin-producing tumor, Found in the pituitary gland.
Through a drawing blood from a vein in the armIs performed to measure prolactin levels and can help greatly, along with other values to determine: the cause of galactorrhea, the cause of headache and visual disturbances, infertility and erectile dysfunction, diagnose and treat prolactinomas assess the role of the pituitary.
You can find high levels of prolactinAs well as in pregnancy and the lactation in diseases of the hypothalamus, kidney disease, hypothyroidism, chronic stimulation of the nipple, pituitary tumors and polycystic ovaries.
Prolactin levels should be assessed according to time of day Because they are different and vary throughout the day and usually do two hours after waking or half an hour after a complete rest, taking into account the age and sex among others.
